The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-02-23


bouse-breaking and larceny. They retired
and in a short time returned with 4 "tr2e
bill" at the same time handing il. their pre-
sentiment, which IS published elsewhere.
They were then discharged from further at
tendance on the Court William Godfrey
subsequently pleaded guilty and was sen
fenced to the penitentinry for is months.
Robert Conyers, convicted Of selling whis-
key without license, was sentenced TO pay
fine of 500, or be imprisoned in the conn
ty Jail for six months. We understand he
has paid his 6ne.
TEE TRIAL u TEos. E. SHANNON.
This case was the object Of universal IN
terest and comment, and the Court Hc;:se
was densely packed with a crrious, eager
crowd when It WAS Gale which increased as
the trial proceeded. There was much spec
ulation among that important oody, the pub
lie, as to whether Shannon would be tried.
Many declared that his counsel waUld resort
to some subterfuSe to have the case con; ln1-
ed. Consequently, when the defense boldly
announced s.ready," there was much SUI
prise manifested among the large audience
beyond the railing
Mr.. Shannon was a-raiguea with all The
solemn impressive for,nalit;rS Of the law.
The selection of jury was the next step.
Seven jurors were sworn when the panel
was exhausted Four more were sworn from
:hose stood aside by the State. There lack
ed one more juror and special venire had
to be issued. During the selection Of the
jus.y two novel questions arose which delay
ed matters several hours. Ajuror was pre-
sented and being placed upon his cor Gus
said that the accused had married his first
cousin. This, the State contended, disqual-
iied the juror to sit on the case. The de-
fence insisted that the rule applied only to
Jurors connected to the party on trial by con-
sanguinity, and not by affinity or marriage.
The Court finally ruled with tie State anl;
noted the objections Of defence. The other
was even more extraordinary. It arose when
it was discovered that juror who had been
absent the preceding days, VS. present.
The Judge was perplexed TO dec.ue whether
he should be presented when his name hat,
not been placed in the 'hat' He finally
ruled in the affirmative but the juror was
summarily stood aside by the State At tie
reconvening of the Court in the afternoon
the extra venire supplied the remaining ju-
ror Their names are, 5. P Hoiladav. Lou
is Richbourg, II. J. Abraham, (coiored), G..
". Walker, J. W. Rag,n, 3. r. Bryant, S.
w. Griffin, A. D. Rhame, n. S. Canty, J. NJ
Richardson, F. L. +. Lesesne, and D. II.
Welch. The jury retired to their room and
elected Mr. J. NJ. Richardson their foreman.
THE EVIDENCE.
The evidence for the State agreed in sub
stance with the testimony at the Coronor's
Inquest, which was published ut the time,
and is very generally known. The only
new evidence of any importance YVES that OF
the Sheriff OF the County and 3Ir. Louis Ap-
pelt, both of whom swore that Shannon vol
unfairly and Of his own accord stated, when
he was being carried TO Sumter to escape the
lynchers, that ut was hard tor him to suffer
for other peoples affairs. Rose was to do
the thing or shooting and he borrowed my
pistol for the purpose that morning" The
Sheriff said be s.hunched" Shannon to stop
what he was saying. The adrnissibiiity OF
this evidence caused considerable discussion.
Defendants counsel argued that it was al
incomplete statement as the accused was
stopped by the Sheriff This position was
oyer-ruled and the Court allowed ito go to
the jury. The prosecution endeavored to
prove by c. G. DuBose that he was threaten
ed by Shannon because he signed one OF the
road petitions. This was oTer-ruleo as e1-
traneoas.
Here the State rested its case.
TIE DEFENCE.
Mr. Thos- E. Shannon, the accused. was
the first witness He ascended the witness
stand calmly and with quiet dignity. The
cynosure of every eve in the Court Room,
the coolness and manly bearing OF the ac-
crsed as he told his story in simple straight
Nd hoo 2a fov, HI lG
impression on the Court, Jury. and audience.
M. Shannon being sworn. said:
This trouble began about four Yeas ago,
when an old road was closed and a new ore
opened in the Midway neigborhood. Sever
al attempts were made to reopen this Old
road, all Of which were unsuccessful. The
last attempt was made about one year ago
before the board Of County Commissioners.
n. B. Barrow vas the principal man in the
movement to have the road opened. The
defendant was at this time employed in tax
ing care of the plantation Of the late Jamas
McFaddin, and personally had nothing to
do with the road controversy, except where
he was drawn into il as the employee ct the
McFaddins. The defendant was present at
which was held to discuss this matter Oh the
4th of last May While in Manning on that
day he met the deceased Barrow IN crowd
and offered to shake hands with him. Bar
row refused his hand. Nothing more was
said or done by either party on that occasion.
Defendant was also present at the commits
sioners' meeting on May 2Gsh. He was g
witness at this meeting, and Wills giving in
his testimony \. 3. Barrow contradicted one
of his statements with an oath Defendant
told Barrow that that was not the place 70
discuss their differences, but that, Il he de-
sired It, he would argue with him when
they got outside. Mr. Purdy told Mr.. Bar
row that he could not use profanity in that
meeting. Defendant did not go 20 Barrow
after the meeting or have anything more to
do with him that day. He left town IN q
buggy with Wm' T. Rose about sundown
that afternoon, end had no iGea Of meeting
or oEertaking the Barrows on the road.
whea about five miles from Manning they
overlook buggy, and upon inqu;rng found
that W. j. Gibbons and E. J. Green We're
riding together IN !. The defendant drove
on ground it. and not until they We're d-iv-
ing around did they discover another bug
gy ahead. The front buggy drove up and
Kept ahead *o- about three-quarters of :.
mile, when itfeD INTO e walk. Defendant
and Rose were at this time discussing the
road mater in very quie: manner. Rose
said something about having TO 90 TO town
so frequently On this piece Of business that
it interfered with the work OF his cop.
Upon this \. 3. Barrow tarned arounG, and
called to Rose tha. he WAS ore OF TIE men
engaged IN the affair, and It had TO bc settled